For the fifth Saturday in a row, The Stones put four goals past the opposition and their success against Dartford means that Maidstone have now won their last seven matches, which is the longest winning streak of any Ryman League One side this season.
Having only lost one match in their last eighteen fixtures, The Stones are in an exceptional run of form at the moment and the result delighted Lloyd Hume who said: “We got what we deserved today. Alan and I will both tell you that we have been on such runs with other sides and we know that if you can sustain a run of victories over the Christmas period and carry it into the New Year, then you have every chance of winning the league.”
Before the game, few Stones supporters would have thought that Maidstone would have ended up comfortable winners of this fixture but apart from a twenty minute spell in the second half, The Stones were firmly in control of this game.
It took just thirteen minutes for Lynden Rowland, recalled to the Maidstone side at the expense of Alex Tiesse, to open the scoring. Craig Roser’s long clearance up field was misjudged by Richard Avery allowing Rowland the chance to shoot. Although his first drive was blocked, Rowland was not to be denied a second time and he fired the ball low into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Prior to this, Dartford should have tested Pat Mullin in the Maidstone goal but first of all, Brendon Cass headed wide from Steve Norman’s cross and then Jay May wasted a chance from the edge of the area as he curled his shot well wide.
The first half was disrupted with numerous free-kicks and The Stones were awarded another one after the Dartford keeper, Tony Kessell, was adjudged to have handled the ball outside of the area. Kessell was only booked for the offence though and Maidstone couldn’t take advantage from the resultant cross.
With half time approaching, Maidstone suddenly upped the tempo and with forty three minutes played, Mo Takaloo was guilty of firing the ball over the bar from ten yards.
Takaloo was involved again two minutes later when he latched onto an Aaron Lacy throw bouncing around in the box and Kessell blocked Takaloo’s shot on the line.
From this attack, Maidstone were awarded a corner which was swung in by Sam Tydeman. Tommy Osbourne rose high to attempt to head the ball clear but he only managed to glance the ball onto the bar and when it came back into the six yard box, Takaloo, the ultimate Stones’ “fox in the box”, stabbed the ball in from close range.
Unsurprisingly, Dartford emerged from the break determined to get back into the game and for the first twenty minutes of the second half, it looked as if they might be successful. With fifty two minutes played, Cass really should have pulled a goal back for the visitors when he spun into space inside the box but his shot went just wide of the post.
The Darts sent on James Carter to bolster their attack and he nearly had an immediate effect when he forced Mullin to scoop the ball off the line following another Steve Norman delivery into the box.
But if Cass was wasteful shortly after the break, he made amends on sixty eight minutes with a cracking goal. Dartford’s pressure finally paid off when yet another delivery bounced in the box and with no Stones player quick to react, Cass lashed a volley past Mullin.
It would have perhaps been expected that this goal would have given Dartford the impetus to push forwards for the equaliser, but instead, conceding the goal seem to rejuvenate Maidstone and they suddenly began dominate the game once more.
With eleven minutes remaining, The Stones supporter’s nerves were eased when Rowland headed in Tydeman’s corner at the near post. Cue one of the strangest but funniest celebrations ever seen at Bourne Park as Rowland pretended to be a one man band as he passed the main stand, in reference to a joke he shared with the currently injured Lee Shearer.
Rowland was then withdrawn for Simon Austin and within seconds of coming on, Austin came close to adding Maidstone’s fourth goal of the afternoon. Aaron Lacy’s long, high ball into the box fell to Austin and Kessell did well to stop his initial shot. As the ball broke free, Austin looked to slam the ball into the net but his rising drive struck the bar.
However, Austin was to get his second goal inside as many games for on ninety minutes, substitute Alex Tiesse ran to the by-line and pulled the ball back for Austin to finish neatly from twelve yards.
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